It is known to provide automotive interiors with various trim assemblies to improve the comfort and convenience of vehicle occupants and for the aesthetic appearance of the automotive interior. Examples of these interior trim assemblies include the instrument panels, armrests, door panels, and consoles. In many of these assemblies, various compartments are incorporated therein that allow the vehicle occupant to conveniently store items, e.g. coins, tissue, maps, cigarette or cigar butts, and the like, for later removal or disposal thereof.
In certain compartments, such as for some ashtray compartments, it is desirable for the compartment to include a cover that overlies the opening and is adapted to secure or contain the items therein. This cover is typically attached to a compartment body, such as by a hinge mechanism, so that the cover can be pivotally opened and closed as desired by the vehicle occupant. While covered compartments can be desirable by car owners and vehicle occupants, current covered compartments have some drawbacks.
The primary drawback is in the manufacturing and assembly of the parts for these compartments. The current process for making a compartment, such as an automotive ashtray, typically includes forming the ashtray body in a first mold. The ashtray cover then is individually formed in a second and separate mold. A further separate connecting member, usually a pair of metal or plastic cylindrical hinge pins, then is used to couple the cover to the body. Moreover, current ashtrays may include a pair of damping mechanisms to provide some resistance to opening and closing the cover to the compartment. The as-formed ashtray may then be inserted into the various trim assemblies in the automobile.
Thus, under current manufacturing processes, automotive ashtrays comprise several different parts each having different part numbers that must all be appropriately supplied, tracked, shipped, inventoried and eventually assembled to make the complete product. These multiple part assemblies in turn lead to significant administrative and labor costs, which increase the overall costs of production.
There is thus a need for an improved automotive ashtray and a method for making the same that reduces the number of parts and the labor required for assembly thereof thereby reducing overall manufacturing costs.